LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of a building control matter. This is because the issue does not cause Mr X significant injustice and the underlying dispute over compliance with the Building Regulations is a matter for the Secretary of State.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to act following a report of littering. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. There is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s actions and the complainant has not suffered significant personal injustice to warrant our involvement.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council delayed issuing a council tax bill and then made unreasonable demands for payment. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: Mr X complains that the Council’s grant of planning permission for a neighbour’s extension causes him a loss of privacy. We will not investigate this complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council causing him injustice.

Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to assess care needs and costs for her uncle, Mr Y, when he moved into a care home. The Council did not follow the correct process in its assessments, complete these in good time, or keep Mr Y and his family updated. This caused avoidable distress, confusion, and time and trouble, for which the Council agreed to apologise and pay a financial remedy to Mr Y and his family. It also agreed to issue reminders to its staff and review its procedures.

Summary: Ms C complained the Council issued a wrong invoice, which it has later failed to correct. We found there was fault, for which the Council has already apologised. It has also identified suitable actions to try and ensure this will not happen again.

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s investigation and clean-up of land which the complainant reported had been contaminated by asbestos. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation. Nor could we add to the Council’s own investigation of the matter.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has not helped a family arrange a funeral. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: Ms Z complained the Council wrongly charged her mother, Mrs X, for care home fees, took too long to assess her and communicated poorly. The Council delayed significantly in assessing Mrs X’s care needs. This has caused Ms Z uncertainty about whether Mrs X is in the most appropriate care home to meet her needs. The Council has agreed to pay Ms Z £200 to remedy this injustice. It has also agreed to pay for Mrs X’s fees for the period under dispute. Therefore, we will not investigate this, and issues to do with communication, any further.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about Education Health Care Plan issues as she has appealed to the Tribunal.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about problems that occurred during the burial of the complainant’s wife. This is because the Council has provided a fair response.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the validity and impact of a tree report relating to a planning application made on a plot of land adjacent to his house. There is insufficient evidence of fault to warrant investigation.

Summary: the Council failed to properly inform Mr B about the financial implications of choosing a more expensive home in 2020 and failed to involve him in an assessment completed in 2021. An apology, payment to Mr B and reminder to officers is satisfactory remedy.

Summary: Mr G complained about delays in obtaining a taxi licence. We found fault in the time taken for the Council to resume testing of candidates, suspended at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic and in misleading statements it made to Mr G during that suspension. This caused Mr G some avoidable distress and frustration. The Council accepts these findings and at the end of this statement we set out the action it has agreed to take to remedy Mr G’s injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of matters relating to Ms X’s neighbour’s extension. This is because we are unlikely to find evidence of fault by the Council sufficient to warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to put a zebra crossing outside the complainant’s home. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault and injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to grant planning approval to a neighbouring property. This is because there is no evidence of fault in how the Council dealt with the matter.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council’s children’s services handled her case. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council and we could not achieve a different outcome if we investigated.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to grant planning approval to a neighbouring property. This is because there is no evidence of fault in how the Council dealt with the matter.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to grant planning approval to a neighbouring property. This is because there is no evidence of fault in how the Council dealt with the matter.

Summary: Mrs X complained that the Council will not take enforcement action about a neighbour’s high hedge, despite a remedial notice being in place. Mrs X said the hedge affects her enjoyment of her garden. She said it has caused her stress and she will have to pay again for the Council to investigate the high hedge. We do not find the Council at fault.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about adopter application issues. It is unlikely we would achieve a significantly different outcome than the Council’s complaint procedure produced.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the residential care received by the complainant’s mother.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint. That is because the body he complains about is not within our jurisdiction.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with a planning application. This is because the complainant has not suffered significant injustice as a result of the alleged fault.